


Yaga

by SmutLover



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Crack, Crossover, Drinking, Fairy Tale Elements, Gen, Humor, Natasha being Badass, Pastries, What Happened in Budapest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-19 03:49:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11305080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmutLover/pseuds/SmutLover
Summary: "For some reason Tony would NEVER understand, everyone dropped the subject of the vodnik. He asked once why the critter seemed to know Natasha, and Barnes had threatened to slit his throat if he ever asked again. Tony wasn’t sure if the guy was kidding.So he didn’t ask. "Natasha is a lot older, and a lot more powerful, than the Avengers first realized. Well. Phil and Clint knew.Bucky? Bucky was trying to forget the whole damn thing. Shut up and pass the bottle.





	Yaga

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Yaga Revelation](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11295738) by [robyngoodfellow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/robyngoodfellow/pseuds/robyngoodfellow). 
  * Inspired by [Tea With Baba Yaga](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11301279) by [themuppetyone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/themuppetyone/pseuds/themuppetyone). 



> Warning for a mention of rape and murder. It happens VERY far off camera, and the person who commit the crime is dealt VERY hard justice.

It started without warning and gained momentum, as things usually did in Avengers Tower. Natasha had known it was only a matter of time, but she’d hoped to better establish herself as a regular person before things went off the rails. Instead, she wound up being called out within months of all the Avengers moving into the Tower, and having to put her… unusual… background to work. At least it was nothing dramatic. 

Who knew about next time. 

They were all sitting around the kitchen table after Second Breakfast, chatting, when the alert went off. 

“Something large has crawled out of the ocean on Fire Island.” JARVIS told them. “People are concerned, and it does not seem to meet the descriptions of any known creature in my databases.” A wall screen turned on, and on it was shaky cell-phone footage of something lumbering along the beach. It looked like the result of a long weekend between a hippo and a frog, but it was walking on back legs and seemed to have hands. 

The Avengers puzzled over it for a long moment. “It’s green manatee with legs?” Sam finally asked. 

“It’s a vodnik.” Natasha announced, standing. “Do NOT let anyone harm it, we need to go, NOW.” 

“On it.” Phil nodded, phone to his ear. “SHIELD is evacuating the area and waiting for our arrival. I’ve told them anyone shooting at it will answer to the Black Widow.” 

“I’ll throw on my body armor and warm up the jet.” Clint said, after one long, considering look at Natasha. 

“Thank you.” She raced off. 

* 

“I have a targeting window.” Tony announced on comms. He was already at Fire Island with Thor, waiting on them to arrive, ten minutes behind in the jet. 

“Do not even.” Natasha ordered. “You harm it, and I will harm you.” 

“Ooookay.” Tony said under his breath. 

“I do not recognize it. What sort of creature is it?” Thor asked. “It does not appear to be harmful.” 

“It isn’t.” Natasha said, pacing. “MOVE IT, CLINT. It’s called a vodnik. They’re water creatures, mostly from the Black Sea. Vegetarian. It’s got to be hungry, it’s the only reason it would show itself. Some idiot’s going to panic and shoot it if we don’t get there, though.” 

“Ah. You are wise to protect it, then.” Thor agreed. 

“Thank you.” Natasha nodded. 

Clint landed the jet, fast and hard enough that everyone grumbled a bit, and Natasha was out as soon as the hatch opened, running for the water. Steve yelped and gave chase, worried that she’d be in danger without backup. Phil and Clint exchanged a knowing glance and followed, not quite as quickly, but fast enough to also offer backup. 

“Do you have any idea what’s going on?” Sam asked Barnes. 

“Yes.” Barnes said. “You are happier not knowing. Trust me.” 

Sam frowned at Barnes, then left the jet to offer support to his team. “Oh boy.” Sam sighed, and took to the skies to make sure no one got their ass shot off. 

Barnes really wished he could hide in the jet, but got a rifle and climbed on top of it instead; that way he was at a really safe distance but no one could fault him about backing up his team mate. Not that she needed it. Ever. Oh gods, he hoped this didn’t turn into another incident like Naroulia. They’d never been able to wipe that mission out of him, not in fifty years. It was the only one he wished they HAD. 

“What in hell’s going on?” Tony asked. “Is it a danger, or not?” 

“It is NOT.” Natasha snarled, slowing as she neared the creature. She gave everyone else a ‘stop moving’ hand sign, then walked slowly toward it. “ _Izvinte, moy drug_.” she called, using the tone she usually reserved for dealing with upset children. 

It turned. 

“English?” Natasha asked. It nodded. “You cannot be here, it is not safe for you. I am sorry.” 

Its eyes widened. “Lady. I had not realized.” it gave a sort of bow. 

“Do not worry over that. You must go. An idiot human will panic and harm you.” 

“My children are hungry.” it said. 

“I am so sorry.” Natasha told it, moving closer and laying a hand on its arm. “I am so very sorry, but you cannot stay here.” 

It nodded sadly. 

“Wait a moment.” Natasha asked it. She turned away. “Stark, do you have an island in the Caribbean?” 

“Uh. Yes?” Tony landed nearby. 

The… thing… flinched. 

Tony, not completely oblivious OR an asshole, flipped up his face plate and moved closer. “Hey.” He said carefully. “Sorry I startled you. I don’t mean any harm.” 

It nodded, fearfully. 

Steve and Phil came up silently on Natasha’s other side, nodding to the creature. 

“His children are hungry.” Natasha told Tony, raising her chin in classic ‘go ahead and fight me over this’ style. 

“Oh. Shit.” Tony muttered. “Yeah, that’s awful. Hang on a second...” A map hovered in the air between them, showing water currents and ocean floor instead of land. “Do you understand maps?” 

The giant creature nodded again, poking the map with a careful finger and blinking in shock when his hand went through it. 

“Right. Can you take your family here?” A small dot lit off the Bahamas. “I know it’s a ways, but if you swim?” 

“Yes.” the vodnik nodded. 

“Excellent. I’ll make sure there’s food there. Does Wid- Nat- The Lady, does she know what you eat?” 

“I do.” Natasha confirmed. 

“I’ll make sure there’s always food there, for you and your kind.” Tony told it. “My company is trying to clean up the ocean, but it’s going to take a while. Until then, we’ll keep you fed.” 

“You are very kind.” The creature told Tony, giving him a slight bow. 

“Not really.” Tony said, bowing back carefully. 

“You have been so very merciful, Lady, I and my pod will never forget your aid. We will tell the story to our children’s children.” 

“You’re very welcome.” Natasha told him. “Please tell the others, they can find me here if they need aid. I don’t want them hurt.” 

“So very merciful.” It bowed very deeply to Natasha, then disappeared into the surf. 

Everyone stood and looked at each other. 

“What the hell was that?” Tony asked, more about the entire experience than the monster from the deep specifically. 

“Vodnik. Russian folk story that’s actually real. Kind of like Thor.” Natasha said flippantly. 

Clint jogged up with a box and held it out. It contained pastries. 

“Really?” Steve asked, taking one. 

“Pastries.” Clint shrugged. 

“No one’s telling me anything, are they.” Tony sighed. 

“I sense many secrets.” Thor added unhelpfully, reaching for a cream horn. 

“They aren’t ours to tell.” Phil said with a shrug, eating a donut. 

“You do not wanna know.” Bucky muttered darkly. 

“You can get off the top of the jet, Soldier. Coast is clear, you big fat chicken.” Natasha said over comms. 

“Do NOT say chicken.” Bucky complained, and climbed back down. 

-A- 

For some reason Tony would NEVER understand, everyone dropped the subject of the vodnik. He asked once why the critter seemed to know Natasha, and Barnes had threatened to slit his throat if he ever asked again. Tony wasn’t sure if the guy was kidding. 

So he didn’t ask. 

About six months later, they got a call. Dead of winter, and there was a spirit roaming around Saratov, scaring the shit out of the locals. 

“Oh God.” Bucky said in a hollow voice. 

“Shouldn’t they call a priest? Do an exorcism?” Steve asked, confused. He didn’t really believe in hostile spirits, but he hadn’t believed in space aliens either. And the priest seemed a better solution than the Avengers. 

“They did. Several. It didn’t take.” Phil told them all. “We have a photo.” 

It was a beautiful blonde woman, standing in the middle of a street. Problem was, she was completely naked and there was a foot of snow on the ground. She seemed unbothered by the cold, her hair blowing in the wind. 

“Reports say she doesn’t speak, but screams in a way that’s keeping everyone terrified.” Phil added helpfully. 

“I can’t imagine why.” Tony said faintly. 

Natasha stared at the image a long moment, looking more and more grim. “Shishiga.” She announced. 

“Oh, Christ.” Bucky announced loudly. He found a bottle of whiskey from somewhere and took a slug straight from the bottle. 

“Isn’t that what that… thing… in Budapest was?” Clint asked faintly. 

“Yes.” Natasha confirmed. 

Clint took the bottle from Bucky, drank a healthy slug, and handed it on to Phil, who also drank. 

“You’ll want it too.” Phil told everyone else, and sat the bottle down in the middle of the table. “Natasha?” 

“JARVIS, scan the news reports, police activity, that kind of thing, for the area around Saratov. There’s a serial killer who goes after girls in the area, we need to find him. That will be what stirred her up.” 

“Very good, Agent Romanov.” JARVIS agreed, and got to work. 

Nat turned toward her team. They were a good bunch of guys, but they really were not going to deal well with this. To be honest, she might enjoy that a little bit. “Shishiga are another Russian folk story that really exists. They’re the vengeful spirits for young women who die violently near the rivers where they live. This one lives in the Volga river.” She turned to Clint. “The one we ran into in Budapest would be the one who lives in the Danube.”

“Of course.” Clint agreed in a faint voice, taking another pull off the bottle. 

Bucky produced another bottle from somewhere and took the cap off. 

Sam, Tony, Steve, and Thor were watching, nonplussed. 

“Well, to be fair,” Natasha added, “the Danube’s pretty long, I’m sure there are a couple shishiga living in it. Same with the Volga. But anyway.” She shrugged. “Someone’s been killing girls in the area, and she wants them.” 

“...wants?” Steve repeated carefully. 

“If it goes like Budapest, she’ll pull him into the river and that’ll be that.” Clint told him. “No more guy killing girls, shishiga goes back to peacefully living in her river. Everything’s fine except for the guy who’s been killing girls, and-” He made a hand wave of ‘what do you expect?’ 

Tony held out his hand. Clint put the bottle into it. 

“What about bringing the killer to justice, we could-” Steve began. 

“No good, man. They don’t give a shit about human justice. To get the one in Budapest to go away, we had to break the asshole killer out of a cell and hand him over.” Clint took the bottle back from Tony. “It was a very very freaky weekend.” 

Steve tried to take Bucky’s bottle but he wouldn’t let go. 

“All right.” Phil told them. “Wheels up in fifteen.” 

* 

It was snowing sideways when they landed in Saratov. Natasha tilted her face up into it, raised her arms, and said something into the wind with a smile. 

“Don’t ask, man.” Clint told Tony under his breath. 

“She is greeting the local spirits.” Thor offered helpfully. 

“Yeah, let’s call it that.” Clint agreed under his breath. 

Natasha wrapped the full-length fur coat she’d produced from somewhere around her field suit, and strode to the town square. The Avengers followed along behind in foul-weather gear and body armor, boggling as every single person they encountered took one look at Natasha and disappeared into the nearest building. When they reached the square, Natasha called in Russian, “Shishiga, it is I. Come, and let me help you.” 

Everyone who didn’t speak Russian immediately huddled up with Thor for a running translation. 

Clint and Bucky moved off to safe distances to provide cover as needed and maybe hide if they could get away with it. Phil simply stood behind and a little to the left of Natasha, guarding her rear. 

There was a scream that made Tony’s balls try to climb up into his body, and out of the blowing snow, the woman appeared. Her skin was like pale marble, and her hair was blowing around her, so blond it was nearly white as well. 

“Lady.” the spirit dropped to its knees in front of Natasha. “I beg you, do not make me give up my hunt. The girls.” 

“I understand.” Natasha said, laying a hand on the bowed head. “We share this goal. The girls must be protected. Or avenged.” 

“Thank you, thank you Lady.” the shishiga bowed deeply. 

“Is this your prey?” Natasha asked, holding out her phone. A hologram appeared of a local man. 

On the flight over, Natasha, JARVIS, and Phil had worked together to identify who had raped and killed fifteen local girls between the ages of twelve and thirteen. Number fifteen had been thrown in the river, and according to Natasha was the final straw as far as any shishiga would be concerned. 

“You’re going to kill the guy?” Steve had asked in shock, looking at the evidence JARVIS had found for them. 

“No. If she keeps screaming through town eventually someone will find a way to kill her. My goal is to get the shishiga to go back to her river.” Natasha told him. Steve had started to relax when she’d added, “the easiest way to do that is to hand the guy over.” 

“That’s murder.” Steve had pointed out. 

“No, that’s justice. The shishiga won’t take just any random guy. She only wants the killer.” 

Now, in the village square, the team watched as the spirit walked slowly around the hologram of their suspect. “It is he.” she confirmed. 

Sam swore he could feel ice forming in his own veins. This kept up, he swore he was going to start going back to church. 

“How has he thwarted your justice, my little one?” Natasha asked. 

“He lives on holy ground, My Lady.” she punctuated the sentence with a scream of frustration that made every male member of the team shiver. 

“Take us there.” Natasha commanded. 

Another bow, and the spirit was off, walking down the middle of the street, screaming every block or so. 

“Jeeeesus.” Sam breathed. 

“I’m sure he’d be terrified too.” Tony said under his breath. 

“I had not realized Midgard had so many fascinating spirits.” Thor observed. He looked like he wanted to take notes. Everyone else resisted the urge to punch him.

Bucky wished, violently, for a drink. 

They arrived at what clearly was an old church that had been renovated into a mansion. The shishiga stood at the door and screamed; inside, lights were shutting off. 

“Just keep reminding me, the guy deserves it.” Steve breathed. 

“He totally deserves it.” Clint replied. “And I am still going to have so many drinks.” 

“All the drinks.” Sam agreed. 

Natasha kicked the door open. 

“Well, shit.” Clint grumbled, and nocked an arrow, moving to follow her inside. 

Phil stood at the door. “The rest of you stay out here. Fan out, make sure the guy doesn’t sneak out a window or a back door.” 

“I don’t know how I feel about this.” Steve announced, moving down an alley toward the back of the building. 

“I know how I feel.” Tony told him. “Terrified. You gonna argue with either one of them?”

“No.” Steve admitted. 

Inside the house there was crashing and banging, then a long, masculine scream. 

“I’ve got him.” Natasha announced. “You can all move back toward the front. Or stay away, if you don’t want to witness this. Suit yourselves.” 

Natasha put the guy in a joint lock with his arm twisted up behind him, and marched him down the stairs and out of his house. The guy screamed and begged for mercy the whole way. “Mercy. Like you showed mercy to the girls you’ve killed?” Natasha asked him in Russian. 

“You can’t prove I killed them!” The man screamed. 

“The shishiga knows. And doesn’t care about proof.” Natasha told him. 

He screamed some more, offering money to let him go. 

When they exited the house, he saw the rest of the team and started screaming again, this time asking them for help. Steve had been feeling really conflicted about the entire thing until Thor helpfully translated the man’s screams. Apparently, according to the man, the girls had been ‘asking for it’. 

“I feel better about this now.” Tony decided. “Still completely terrified, mind you, and I won’t sleep for a week, but better.” 

“Thank you, My Lady, thank you.” The shishiga said, bowing again, deeply, to Natasha. 

“I also protect young girls.” Natasha told the spirit. Then she handed the guy over. 

The team watched as the spirit wrapped her long white arms around the screaming man and dragged him off toward the river. They stayed there, at Natasha’s back, as the screams got fainter, and then there was a sound like shattering glass – or ice – and a loud gurgle. 

Silence fell, the snow continuing to blow around them. 

“Right, that’s a job well done.” Natasha said cheerfully. “Do we have any hot chocolate on the jet?” 

“I think so.” Phil told her. 

“I should have put in a wet bar.” Tony muttered. 

Sam nodded in agreement. 

Clint, who’d been missing for most of the screaming, wandered up carrying a large waxed paper bag. 

“Linzer cookies?” Phil asked. 

“Yeah, some nut rolls, and dobos cake.” 

“Seriously?” Steve asked as they trailed after Natasha toward their transport. 

Clint shrugged. “You guys drink. I want pastries. Well, I want vodka too. But I want pastries to go with.” 

Steve really wished booze worked on him. He’d mooch some cookies from Clint. 

“So no one’s gonna tell me why Natasha is Lady and all these things know her?” Tony complained. 

“No, we’re not. Shut up.” Bucky told him, and trudged onward. 

-A-

Natasha had been wondering if she should tell the rest of the team what was going on. They’d been working together nearly a year now, had showed that they could keep a secret, and didn’t freak out much over the strange and unusual. Clint and Phil had dealt with it well enough, though she knew they could still be disturbed when she tangled with the more violent spirits and creatures. 

But, still. She’d seen how Barnes reacted, back in the Winter Soldier days, and she really didn’t have time for that nonsense again, especially not from six people instead of one. So she put it off, even when Steven Strange showed up at the Tower. 

They were all at breakfast again. “Excuse me.” JARVIS said, putting some security camera video up on the main screen. “There is a Doctor Stephen Strange here, asking for Agent Coulson.” 

“That asshole.” Clint sneered. 

“Send him up to the public conference room, please, JARVIS.” Phil decided. “Let’s go see what he wants.” 

“Who IS he?” Tony demanded. 

“Sorcerer Supreme.” Clint sarcastically announced. “He claims to save the earth on the regular, in different dimensions. And he must be GREAT at it since we’re still here, right?” 

“Great, this day only needed a nutball.” Tony sighed. 

“No, he’s the real thing.” Phil confirmed. “He’s just a dick about it.” 

“What’s he think of you?” Tony asked Natasha. 

She smiled. “We’ve never met. I haven’t the slightest idea. Want to go find out?” She'd always avoided him, out of fear of exposure. But now, with her team behind her? Ha. 

“I’m not sure how I want this to go.” Tony told the rest of the team as Natasha swanned out of the room. 

“Without explosions, dumbass, that’s how you want it to go.” Bucky told him. 

* 

Strange swooped into the conference room, cape flowing out behind him. 

Cape. Tony snorted. CAPE. So three centuries ago. Cape. 

“Doctor Strange.” Phil said calmly. Phil knew an awful lot of powered people in the world, and considered every single one a pain in the ass in their own special way. Strange wasn’t even that special; he was an arrogant asshole. 

“Coulson.” 

“What seems to be the problem?” Phil asked, to needle him. Strange wouldn’t appreciate the implication that he needed something so pedestrian as HELP. 

Strange put his pointy nose in the air. “There is someone of… significant power… here in this building. I need to know who it is.” 

“Why?” Phil asked, baldly. 

Strange huffed impatiently. “Because they have the potential for causing great damage. I need to speak to them, be sure they’re safe enough to be allowed freedom.” 

Natasha rose slowly from her seat at the table. “I assure you,” she purred, “I am in no way safe. Until I cause harm I don’t see what business it is of yours or anyone else’s.” 

Phil rolled his eyes and sat down. No way in hell was he getting between the two of them. 

Clint reached over with his foot and tugged Phil the slightest bit further away from Strange. Phil tried not to laugh. Like a few inches would make a difference. 

“I do not know who you are,” Thor rose like a mountain out of a sea, “but you will not come to our home and impugn us. At least have the grace to challenge us fairly, if you dare it.” 

Oh great, that was just what they needed, escalation. 

“What do you think?” Natasha asked Strange. “Want to duel? Power test? See who is stronger? Or are you more about measuring your dick.” 

Strange stiffened slightly. “I merely wanted to know who was here. This sort of power is unusual.” 

“It depends on where you are. And who you are.” Natasha said softly. “Doesn’t it?” 

Natasha and Strange stared each other down. Everyone else was trying to edge away as subtly as possible, except for Thor. Thor was openly curious. 

The Cape lifted a corner and slowly, slowly slithered itself over the back of Natasha’s hand. 

Natasha blinked and looked down at it, then smiled. “Don’t worry, _doushenka_ , I won’t singe you.” She patted the cape. 

It dropped back down to a normal hanging position. 

“So how about it, Stephen? Throw down in the park? It can be like Sword in the Stone.” Natasha asked. “I’d enjoy turning you into a newt.” 

Strange huffed again. “I merely wanted information. I see you’re all uncooperative. If you try anything untoward, I know where to find you, _ved’ma_.” 

“Yeah, you sure do, _chlen_.” 

Strange swept from the room. 

Clint nearly choked, trying not to laugh. “I need cupcakes.” 

Tony shook his head and went to his shop. 

-A- 

The intruder alert went off at noon on Midsummer’s Day. Natasha knew she should have planned on company for the holiday. 

“Two unknown entities have appeared in the lobby of the Tower. They appear to be causing no harm.” JARVIS announced across all communications lines to the Avengers. 

Through the top ten floors of the Tower, people grabbed for weapons and equipment, ran for stairs and elevators, flew out windows. 

Tony got there first, with Thor and Sam at his back. 

They were two old women, with long, snarled grey hair and long tangled grey dresses. Barefoot. They were looking around with intense curiosity, but didn’t seem in the least hostile OR frightened. Neither reacted much to the people around them, simply standing and staring at everything. All right. 

He flipped up the mask on his suit and tried a smile. “Hello, ladies. I’m Tony Stark, I own the place. Is there something I can help you with?” 

The women glanced at each other, then turned back to him. “Yes, thank you.” One of them said. 

“We’re here to see our sister.” The other added. 

All right. Tony thought with a nod, that sounded reasonable, they could work with that. “Of course. If you could tell me who she is, we’ll see-” 

Both women began… giggling? What? 

Then Natasha burst out of the private elevator and ran across the lobby, throwing herself into the arms of the old women. All three gave shouts of joy. 

“Guess we over-reacted then.” Tony said, mostly to himself. 

“Not… really.” Phil replied, walking up beside him, not taking his eyes off the three women in the center of the lobby. “Thank you for not violating the laws of hospitality, that would have gotten ugly, fast.” 

“Well, shit, Phil, I’m not gonna start blasting at old women who’ve done nothing wrong.” Tony grumbled at him. 

“Mmm.” Phil agreed. “That was Bucky’s first mistake.” 

Bucky Barnes came in behind them, rifle slung over one shoulder, wearing his full body armor. “Fuck fuck fuck fuck.” he announced when he saw the scene. As soon as the women were done hugging, he went over and knelt in front of them. “Welcome, honored ones. I apologize again for my rudeness at our last meeting.” 

Both older women turned to him and smiled. 

“I like this one.” One of the women told Natasha. 

“Are you keeping him?” The other asked. 

“I think I am.” Natasha agreed with them. “Would you like to come up, see where I’m living now?” 

“Yes, that would be lovely.” 

“Is there tea?” 

“So much tea. And jam to put in.” Nat said with a big smile, and led them to the elevator. 

“Not even pastries are gonna fix this one.” Clint decided. “Jesus, what if they decide to stay?” 

“Take some pastries to Natasha’s anyway, they’d probably enjoy them.” Phil told him. "Not a thing wrong with sucking up." 

Clint nodded and began plotting the fastest route to his favorite patisserie. The sisters would probably like macarons. And chocolate. So much chocolate. 

After the women left, Bucky closed his eyes for a long moment before standing again. That had gone better than he’d hoped. 

“Gonna tell me what that was about?” Steve asked him. 

Not even if hell froze over. “Not my secret to tell.” That was his story, and he was stickin’ to it. 

* 

The next morning, the two women turned up at breakfast. This time they seemed like they were Natasha’s age, all looking very similar, one with dark hair, one with light. Both wore trim slacks, low shoes, and button-up shirts. Natasha made introductions all around. “You remember Clint, and Phil.” Both men nodded politely. 

“Yes, lovely work in Prague, by the way.” the dark-haired sister said.

“...thank you.” Phil said cautiously. 

“These,” Natasha finally getting to the point everyone was hanging on, “are my Baba Yagas.” 

Everyone sat for a long moment. 

The two sisters grinned and dished up huge helpings of everything for themselves. 

“Like… the legend?” Thor finally asked politely. 

“Yes.” Natasha confirmed. “Another Russian fairy tale that’s true. Baba Yaga, three sisters who live in a hut on chicken legs. We’re the sisters.” 

“Lachuga is very sad to miss you.” Light-haired Yaga said around a mouthful of bacon. 

Natasha smiled. “Tell him I’ll try to visit soon. Now that the cat's out of the bag, it should be easier to visit.” 

Both sisters beamed. 

“When I was younger,” Natasha explained, “I would use my magic to transform myself into a young girl, to play with village children wherever Lachuga took us. I did that for many years. And then one day, the Red Room took me.” 

“The Room used magics to hide their evil from the world.” Dark-haired Yaga added. “It took us many years to find her.”

Natasha gave one of her sharp smiles. “By then I’d decided to stay, so I could put an end to it.” 

“Excellent work on that, love.” The light-haired Yaga patted Natasha’s hand. 

“Once that was done, I stayed to try and find James again.” 

“Oh.” Bucky said softly, then smiled down at his plate. 

“And now,” Natasha finished, “I’m staying to help all of you save the planet from space aliens and keep the vodniks and other harmless creatures safe.” 

Everyone sat back in their chairs, absorbing this revelation. 

“And occasionally feeding a serial killer to a river.” Tony added. 

“Well of course.” All three Yagas said together. 

“So you’re...” Tony waved a hand vaguely. “Immortal Russian fairy tales?” 

“After a fashion.” Dark-haired Yaga decided. 

“It’s as good an explanation as any.” Light-haired Yaga agreed. 

“We’re witches who got driven into the wilds when Europe was Christianized.” Natasha confirmed. “The folktale came after.” 

“Right. So mimosas or blinis?” Sam asked them all. This was going to require alcohol. 

Clint piled the rest of the breakfast pastries on the table. 

**Author's Note:**

> This all began with Muppet over on Twitter talking about Natasha maybe being a mythical figure. And then something about Baba Yaga, and then hey, in some versions, Baba Yaga is three sisters. So then everyone argued over who was going to write it, and then several of us wrote it, so here you go. The "inspired by" works are the others' ideas. 
> 
> RUSSIAN TRANSLATIONS which are likely not 100% right:  
> Izvinte, moy drug - excuse me, my friend  
> doushenka - endearment, like darling  
> ved'ma - witch  
> chlen - dick  
> Lachuga - hut or shack; in this case the name of the chicken-legged cabin the Baba Yagas live in
> 
> I have taken liberties with all mythical figures contained herein.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [The Yaga Revelation](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11295738) by [robyngoodfellow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/robyngoodfellow/pseuds/robyngoodfellow)




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